Jacksonville DUI Arrests – Impairment by Drugs

In order to be arrested for DUI or Driving Under the Influence, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has to believe that the suspect’s normal faculties are impaired. A person can be impaired by alcohol or drugs. If a person blows below the legal limit for alcohol, the police will request that the suspect provide a urine sample. The urine sample is tested by JSO and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a more reliable analysis.

The drugs that can lead to DUI are either illegal or legal. The most common illegal drugs found in the systems of people arrested for DUI are marijuana and cocaine. Legal drugs, prescribed or not, can also impair someone’s normal faculties. The most commonly found legal drugs are Xanax, Oxycontin, and Hydrocodone.

The main problem with DUI’s based on drugs in someone’s system is there is no way to tell when the drugs were consumed. In addition, neither JSO or Florida Department of Law Enforcement tests for quantities of the drugs. There is no way to prove how much of the drug is in a suspect’s system and no way to prove how long ago they were taken.

If you have any questions about a DUI based on drugs, please contact our Jacksonville DUI Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.